Early Literacy Summer School - FREE Apps for Literacy
Scoring Guide – 3 = AWESOME 2= Good 1=Not So Great
Skill
Letter
Sounds
Sight
Words
Image & Link
Name of App
Comments
Score
Use
ABC Alphabet
Phonics
This app lets you touch letters to hear their sounds. You can
hear the ABC song, match letters, order letters, and hear
sounds.
2
ipad
itouch
ABC Pocket
Phonics Lite
This app says the sound and traces a letter, you say the sound
and then trace the letter.
3
ipad
itouch
Alphabet Zoo
This app has all of the letters. You click on them and it says the
sound. The only problem is that the letters are in ABC order and
it doesn’t require a lot of thinking. It is a great app to use as a
letter sound resource....but that’s it.
1
ipad
itouch
ABC Magic 5
This app is GREAT! You see a picture and then you drag it to go
over the letter that it matches. All letters are lowercase. The
only downfall is that it says ―preschool‖ on it.
3
ipad
itouch
1000 Sight
Words –
Superhero
Great game and very engaging
Can’t put in your own sight words. Has some odd words like ―oh‖
2
ipad
itouch
Abitalk
Sentence
Builder
Put the words in the sentence in the correct order.
2
ipad
itouch
Sight Words
Read and spell sight words from the Dolch List
2
ipad
itouch
Photo Touch
Sight Words
Read and select sight words from the Dolch List
2
ipad
itouch
Beginning
Sounds
Ace Writer Dolch Sight
Words
You can learn 200+ sight words in a fun easy way.
2
ipad
itouch
Sight Words
For Reading
This app helps students learn sight words, the most common
words in children's literature. It covers a few words from both
the Fry's and Dolch lists. Words are presented in context in fun
videos. This helps learners understand the meaning of the words,
which aids in reading comprehension.
2
ipad
itouch
Sight Words
Free
Sight word flash cards. Turn the sound off so kids read the
words. Quick and engaging. There is a part where the kids spell
the words by unscrambling the letters.
3
ipad
itouch
Sight Words 2
Lots of different games, words are challenging for kindergarten.
Would be good for advanced students. Several games: Word
Tour-students read the words, Find and shoot-says a word, you
click on the correct word as it goes by, Unscramble- says a sight
word and gives the letters, you unscramble it, Memory- sight
words are hidden under clouds, you match them up
3
ipad
itouch
Sight Words –
Teacher
Created
Materials
Words are perfect for kindergarten! Students can read the
word and write it on the lines.
3
ipad
itouch
Blackboard
Sight Words
Games
This app helps children with sight words. It will read the words
to kids, so turn the sound off if you want the kids to read the
words. Words are leveled to grade 3.
3
ipad
itouch
Phonics Fun 3
Great app for beginning sounds! Students see a picture and the
word is said aloud. Then the student has 3 choices for a
beginning sound.
3
ipad
itouch
Phonics
Consonants
Good app for beginning sounds.
2
ipad
itouch
CVC Words
Hungry Monster
Students build word in 2 parts (onset/rime).
3
Phonics Vowels
Onset/Rime word building. Students basically need to know
beginning sounds to complete the app.
2
ipad
itouch
ABC Magic Lite
GREAT APP!! Students make their own CVC word and click the
magic hat. The image will then appear
3
ipad
itouch
Little Speller
for Kids
This app is a dud….only good for struggling students. It tells the
answer when spelling cvc words. Students don’t need to think.
1
ipad
itouch
Fat Cat App
This app has students build CVC words in the at family. It tells
the answers, but really models how to blend.
2
ipad
itouch
ILEAP Word
Builder
Students make CVC words. The students can listen to the onset
and the rime. You can learn, explore, practice…etc. The free
version uses all 5 vowels, but the ending sound is always ―t‖.
3
ipad
Rhyming
Long
Vowels /
Silent “E”
Teacher
Tools
Spelling Magic
CVC words – The students can move letters to match the
picture. They can also select letters from the alphabet to spell a
three letter word that matches the picture.
3
ipad
itouch
Rhyming Bee
This app has students sort words based on two selected rhyming
word families
2
ipad
itouch
Rhyming Words
This app has students sort pictures that match. GREAT APP!!
3
ipad
itouch
Long Vowels
This app is fun! The kids shoot from a space ship at the words
with a certain long vowel sound. The words use both silent ―e‖ as
well as vowel patterns. Free version limits to 2 vowel sounds.
2
ipad
itouch
The Electric
Company
Wordball
This app teaches kids about silent ―e‖. Kids LOVED using this
app!
3
ipad
itouch
NG Word
Builder
This app has blends, digraphs, sight words, vowel patterns and
much more. Basically a magnetic board.
2
ipad
itouch
Drop Box
This app allows you to share and access files.
3
ipad
QuickVoice
This app allows you to record sound and save it. GREAT for
parent teacher conference!! There is also a great activity for
fluency where students…1. Reread for perfection 2. Record their
Reading using QuickVoice 3. Reflect using a fluency rubric.
**The itouch from BOCES don’t have microphones.**
3
ipad
Pick Me Buzzer
This app creates buzzers that the kids can use when playing a
game. Up to 5 students can buzz in when they know the answer.
3
ipad
Globe
Globe for iPad is a Geography app which shows the
countries of the world on a 3D globe - you can manipulate
the globe with the normal iPad gestures — drag your finger
or use a rotate gesture to rotate the globe; pinch to zoom
in and out.
2
ipad
Magnetic Board
This is a great magnetic letter board. VERY similar to the one
from Smart Notebook!
3
ipad
WhiteBoard
This is a great app to use on the ipad only! Easy to use!!
2
ipad
Educreations
Interactive
Whiteboard
This is a FANTASTIC APP! You can use it as a whiteboard, but
you can also record lessons that you have taught and share them
online through a data base. This would be great to model a
sample math problem and then have it at a station so students
could review the skill as needed. It even records voice!
3
ipad
ipod
StickyBoard
This app allows you to put sticky notes onto a screen. You can
drag them around and color code them. This can then be emailed
as a .pdf and printed for record keeping. Good for guided
reading notes.
2
ipad
Alarm Clock
Great tool to keep track of time. Has an alarm that you can set
to help know when to rotate stations.
2
ipad
Free Books
Record of
Reading
This app allows you to do running reading records. It is much
easier to use if you have a stylis instead of using your finger to
write.
3
ipad
Scholastic
Reading Timer
Keeps track of reading minutes!
2
ipad
itouch
TechChef4u
This app has LOTS of great books you can download.
2
ipad
Intro Planet
Earth
Readers will read facts pertaining to Earth, including how
Earth supports life, how the seasons occur, and how day
becomes night. Physical attributes are defined, such as
continents, equator, latitude, longitude, and axis tilt.
Illustrations support the text.
2
ipad
Making
Lemonade
Readers will read about how to make icy, cold lemonade all
by themselves. Readers will learn about the ingredients and
the steps needed to make homemade lemonade.
2
ipad
Wolf’s Story
Readers will enjoy this retelling of the The Three Little
Pigs told from the wolf's point of view. Readers will
sympathize with the homeless, freezing wolf as he suffers
a cold and can't stop sneezing.
2
ipad
Pumpkins
Readers will read about a boy named Landon who
remembers what happened last Halloween when he really
messed up his pumpkin while trying to carve a jack-o'lantern. This Halloween, he works with his dad on a plan to
plant, grow, and harvest his own pumpkins so he will have
enough for himself and his younger brother to practice
carving. Landon successfully carries out his plan and ends
2
ipad
up using the three R's—reduce, reuse, and recycle—in the
process
Totem Poles
Readers will learn in what parts of the United States
totem poles are found, why they are used and by whom, and
how totem poles are carved.
2
ipad
iBooks
This app has a store where you can download LOTS of free
books. MAKE SURE TO PREVIEW THE BOOKS!!! Some of them
aren’t appropriate.
2
ipad
Cat LITE
The Cat in the Hat…not a complete book, but students could
finish writing the book as a follow up activity.
1
ipad
3LP Lite
The Three Little Pigs Pop Up Book
2
ipad
I Like Drawing
This is a book about drawing. It is ok.
Grasshopper App
2
ipad
The Ant & The
Grasshopper
Book about the ant and the grasshopper getting ready for
winter.
2
ipad
A Seed Grows
Good book for science – Level G
2
ipad
Word
Study
Phonics Tic Tac
Toe Lakeshore
House
This app reviews lots of different phonics / phonemic awareness
skills! Great for end of first grade and beginning second grade!
GrammarJamm Catchy animated songs and rhymes make English language
ers
arts exciting! Grammar Jammers animations will have you
tapping your toes to the beat while learning grammar usage
and mechanics. Each animation unlocks a quiz. Answer all
the quiz questions for all the Grammar Jammers topics and
unlock an interactive reward.
3
ipad
itouch
Useful
IPAD
Spelling Magic 2
This app is great for consonant blends. There are 7 different
themes – animals, outdoors, actions, people, home, work, double
blends, triple blends. You see a picture, touch the picture to
hear the word, then drag the letters to spell the word. There
are 2 levels…level 1 is just the letters you need and level 2 gives
you the whole alphabet.
3
ipad
itouch
Abitalk Fun
Rhyming
Practice rhyming words by matching words from the following
word families:
 ap, at, an, ad, et, it, id, ig, ip, ot, oy, ut
2
ipad
SpellingBug2
This app shows you a picture and says the word, then you have to
unscramble the letters to spell the words. GREAT APP!
3
ipad
itouch
Phonics Genius
Lots of letters, vowel patterns, digraphs, etc. GREAT app that
works with K-5 students
3
ipad
itouch
3D Words
See how many words you can make using the given letters per
puzzle (words can be 3-6 letters long) before the time runs out
2
ipad
Word Warp
Game
See how many words you can make using the given letters per
puzzle (words can be 3-7 letters long) before the time runs out.
2
ipad
Writing
Chicktionary
Fun game! Not a lot of learning involved. The student makes 3
and 4 letter words and the chickens let you know if the words
are real words or not.
2
ipad
itouch
Mini Word
Balls fall and students can try and spell words by clicking on the
balls. The letters don’t go in order visually…but you click on them
in order to spell the word. You can click on ―hint‖ and get a word
given to you to find. To help students, you could make a
worksheet with word families on it to help the children think of
words faster.
2
ipad
itouch
Word Warp
You make three and four letter words with a partner. Try and
see who can make more words!
2
ipad
itouch
Spellosaur
The characters voice is hard to understand and not engaging.
You can record your own voice. It would just take time to do.
1
ipad
Rocket Speller
This app has multiple levels where students spell words based on
the picture they see. The early levels tend to give the answer.
Level 3 is great for 3 and 4 letter words.
3
ipad
itouch
Word Shaker
This game is a word search game with a twist! Students search
for words and play against a partner. You can shake it to
scramble up the letters.
2
ipad
Story Kit
The students can type in text and add pictures to make their
own story. You can take pictures with the ipad to add in.
2
ipad
Scribblepress
Create stories with illustrations in this great app!
2
ipad
Toontastic
Creates cartoons and records your voice as you tell your
story. Breaks down all the story elements as you go for
reinforcement.
3
Sock Puppets
Sock Puppets lets you create your own lip-synched videos.
Add Puppets, props, scenery, and backgrounds and start
creating. Hit the record button and the puppets
automatically lip-synch to your voice.
SimpleMind+
Mind mapping tool that turns your iPad, iPhone or iPod
touch into a brainstorming, idea collection and thought
structuring device.
3
ipad
ABC Writing
This app helps you learn to form letters properly.
2
ipad
itouch
Letter School
This app helps with writing upper and lowercase letters. The
free version only has a-e.
1
ipad
ipod
ABC Print
This app models how to print a letter and says the letter name.
Then you can trace it with your finger.
2
ipad
ipod
Drawing Box
You can use a variety of tools to draw pictures or write words.
3
ipad
itouch
Scribble Press
Students can create their own story on the ipad
3
ipad
2
ipad
ipad
ABC Cursive
Lite
Comprehen
sion
Cursive practice-lowercase and uppercase
Useful
IPAD
Abby Pal
Cursive practice-lowercase and uppercase
Tracer Cursive
Practice
Useful
IPAD
Bill Atkinson
PhotoCard –
Postcards
This is a GREAT app for writing!! You can take pictures or choose
one of the sample images. Then you write a note and choose a
stamp. These can be printed or emailed to share! This would be
great to email to parents!
3
ipad
Elementary
itooch
Quiz on different aspects of ELA
3
ipad